Between 1950 and 1953, nearly 30,000 Canadian volunteers joined the effort to contain communist incursions into South Korea and support the fledgling United Nations. All the services were there and all served with distinction. The Royal Canadian Navy led a daring rescue of troops from the port of Chinnampo in 1950; members of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry won the highest US battle honour at Kap'yong in April 1951; the Vandoos turned the tide atHill 355; and twice–at Hill 355 in October 1952 and Hill 187 in May 1953–members of the Royal Canadian Regiment held firm against forces that greatly outnumbered them.

The navy and the infantry were bolstered by the Royal Canadian Horse Artillery and Lord Strathcona's Horse tanks, as well as members of the service, medical, engineers, provost, chaplain and intelligence corps. Still more, from the RCAF Thunderbird Squadron, took part in the Korean Airlift–three years of non-stop supply flights across the Pacific.